Program
by Venere Veritas
Summary: A young woman is introduced to the unfamiliar world of Pokemon. Will she follow the rules that she was set to play, or shatter underneath the terrors that await her? Rated T for violence, swearing, and possible deaths.
1. Chapter 1

This is my attempt to write out a Sapphire nuzlocke that I am currently doing. For those of you who do not know; a nuzlocke is basically Pokémon hard mode. If a poke faints, it's gone for good. All pokes I catch must be named, and I can only catch the first pokester I see per route. If you're still unsure; don't worry as I plan to have the story explain it out for you, as a good story should!

But this is also going to be an actual story. I know there are a ton of these (unfinished) nuzlocke stories, and I do want some feedback, so I'm going to throw some twists in here. Hopefully this genre of story hasn't been done to death in this fandom. Here's my first Pokémon fanfiction.

* * *

-Pilot-

Riley woke up to the strange vibrations of the earth shaking from underneath. Her eyelids fluttered as she attempted to get an idea of where she was; a task proven difficult as she couldn't make out the surroundings around her. Her heart raced as she extended out her arms, only to find out she was enclosed in a very limited amount of space. The walls that surrounded her were weak and frail though, giving her the option of pushing them aside, but it wasn't enough to swell the building anxiety within her. Where was she; and how exactly did she get here…wherever _here_ was?

Her questions were quickly answered in the form of bright light appearing before her. The darkness that she faced was lifted-literally. She could see and hear the sound of the metal wall sliding above her, bending to the form of the ceiling. She stared out front and could see the bright world in front of her, but no person standing there; no one who could have possibly lifted the veil. Riley sat, astounded by this strange immediate reaction to her thoughts, but dare not yet question it. With the light now filling the small space she occupied, it was now apparent that surrounding her were piles of boxes and furniture. But no knick-knacks lay in front of her; a sign that she was to go forward.

She crawled her way out of her claustrophobic cave and let her legs dangle above the exit before jumping off. She landed safely on the grass. Riley turned around and stared at what had been holding her captive; a small moving truck.

"Weird," she said. She sucked on her upper lip as she took a step away from the vehicle. She looked down and stared at her clothing, arms, legs; all of which was just as fine as she remembered. Nothing about her seemed out of the ordinary; yet everything about her current situation said otherwise.

"How'd I get here?" she asked. She knew for a fact that she wasn't dreaming; not with the cool wind hitting her face, or the tingle her left leg was suffering from. The sun was warm and slowly backing her in the dark clothes she wore. Her nose itched. The setting sun. All of this had to be real.

"Oh, honey! There you are!" a warm voice called out from behind her. She turned and was welcomed by a young woman, no older than thirty, grabbing her hand and smiling generously at her.

"Ma'am?" Riley asked. She tried to pull her hand away, but the lady wouldn't have it.

"Oh Riley, just look at you!" the lady spoke with a sweet voice. "The drive must've been really hard on you. Why, your hair's a mess!"

"How do you know my name?" Riley asked. Her heart pounded against her chest.

"Oh, aren't you just the little joker?" the woman laughed. She moved some of Riley's bangs to the side. "Here we are; Littleroot Town. Such a nice place. Come on now; I want to show you your new room!"

The strange woman pulled Riley closer to her before dragging her into the small house that lay in front of them. Riley protested as best she should, but found that the strange lady bore a surprising amount of strength. She had no choice but to give in the woman's demands and was welcomed into the house.

In front of her were two large creatures; each resembling a man in shape, but other than that they were something of another world. Their bodies were a dark grey, and hardly wore any clothing. The arms of these creatures were huge, too big for any human to use, and contained thick, large red veins. The skulls had something sticking out, possibly dried out bones, and Riley could see sharp incisors peering out from their reptilian snouts.

"What the hell…" Riley spoke. "What are those things?"

"Don't you just love the Machoke?" The lady beamed. She didn't take any notice in Riley's distress, or chose not to on her own accord. "They're going to set everything up for us and clean up!" She sighed and clasped her hands together. "Pokémon are such great help."

"Pokémon?" Riley said. Those vicious looking things were called Pokémon?

"Now sweetie, just don't stand there." The woman grabbed Riley's should and gave her a rough push. "Your father just bought you a new clock."

Riley stumbled over as she tried to regain her balance. However, there was no denying the strange word that had entered her ears, causing her to slowly turn and face the odd woman.

"Father?" she asked.

"Yes. Now hurry and set it up!" The woman said.

Riley stared at the woman with a look of absolute fear, but seeing that she blocked the only exit, Riley was forced to obey. She walked up the stairs and went into the only room that wasn't locked. It was a bare, dismal scene. The room contained only a bed, floor mat, and old computer and hard drive, an even older television and game console, and a map of some strange foreign land. A few boxes laid about the room. There were no windows. She walked over to a small box that rested on the bed and picked it up. Carefully, she peeled away at the tape and opened it, pulling out her brand new clock. She looked around her "room", trying to find a nice enough spot for it. She settled for the spot next to the door and placed it on the wall, but not before setting it.

"Six o' clock," she said unenthusiastically.

She looked around the room once more before letting out a sigh of grief. Had she been abducted, she wondered? Everything that had happened so far seemed to spell out abduction quite well. But that didn't explain the large Pokémon creatures from before.

She walked over to the boxes and began to open them up, hoping for some clues. Her eyes widened as the first box contained her bag. She pulled it out; her eyes watering in a mixture of joy and desperation. This woman had her possessions…why?

"Riley," a sing-song voice called out.

"No, not now," Riley muttered, pulling her belongings closer to her.

"Riley…"

She picked herself up and threw her grey satchel over her shoulder. She had to get out of here, and the only way out was facing that woman again. She walked over to the door, passing by the brand new lock which still read six in the afternoon.

Riley slowly walked down the stairs; her hands griping her bag in case she would need her pepper spray. She hoped more than anything she wouldn't need it.

"There you are," the woman smiled as soon as Riley was low enough to spot. She stood right in front of the television. A small pout appeared on the woman's face. "You just missed your father. He was on the television…"

"Oh…what a shame," Riley said in a meek tone. She held on tight to her bag and the stair railing.

"Hmm, you know what?" the woman suddenly said. "One of your father's friends lives here in town."

Riley forced a smile on her face as she made rapid glances over at the door.

"I think his name was…Birch?" She asked herself in a bubbly voice. "He lives right next door, you know? Maybe you should give him a visit, let him know that we're settling in just fine."

Riley couldn't believe what she had heard.

"You want me to go out?" she asked.

"Sure. We got to be welcoming neighbors." The woman said.

The forced smile was replaced with one of excitement. She kept herself from becoming too anxious and controlled her breathing as she made her way down to rest of the stairs and to the door. Riley made sure to keep her eyes on the door, and not on the woman who must've been staring her down with those bright, zombie like eyes. It had to look real, she told herself as she lifted her arm and grasped the doorknob with her moist hand. She turned the knob slowly, making sure to not look eager to leave the small prison. The door opened and she could taste her freedom.

And just like that she was out of the house. The door closed behind her and Riley could see the whole town around her. The place consisted of only a few buildings. Riley could count the people walking around with just one hand. The emptiness of the place brought a cold shiver down her spine.

"How the hell do I get out of here?" she muttered frantically. Forest surrounded the area, but she could make out a small path that seemed to lead out of the town. There was no way any moving van could fit through it though…

Riley immediately made a run for the path. She wasn't about to go look for this Birch fellow. For all she knew he was a co-conspirator in her possible abduction.

She continued running, catching little attention from the few people that inhabited the town, and was just about to the reach the path when suddenly everything around her froze. The air went still and everything around her silent. Nobody moved, not even her. She watched as, in a split second, a little burst of light went across her vision. It was too fast for her to make out, but somehow she managed to detect it. Right after this everything went as it was, and Riley made her first step into the woods. She blinked several times, her retinas burned with the images of lines.

"W-what was that?" she asked herself.

Riley wasn't given any time to figure out what happened. Just as she regained her bearings a loud cry was heard not too far off from where she was. She yelped, grabbing and opening her bag as another cry was heard, this one more loud and frightful. She fished through her bag and came to the terrible discovery that most of her possessions were gone. She opened it wide and looked into the dark innards and saw that only a few of her properties remained.

"H-help! Help!" she heard a man cry out.

Riley frowned and felt her legs grow weak. Someone was being attacked in the very direction she was headed, and she had no means of defending herself or helping whoever was being attacked. But she knew she couldn't go back into the town. This left her no choice but to move forward.

As she turned a corner it became clear what was going on. Riley gasped in horror as she saw a man, dressed in khaki shorts and a white coat being mauled by what looked like a brown raccoon. He was covered in red marks, his face raw from the bites the small creature was giving him.

"Help. God…oh…"

"Sir?" Riley yelled. She tried not to gag as she took another step closer without catching the small creature's attention.

"You! Over there! My bag," the man yelled while trying to fight away the small animal.

Riley turned to where the man was pointing and saw a brown satchel lying on the floor. She ran over to it and opened it, startled to find that there was nothing in it aside from some paper, pens, and three red and white capsules.

"There's nothing in it!" she yelled out.

"Grab a Poké Ball," the man cried.

The capsules? She couldn't imagine the small orbs doing much damage. But then she realized the word he had just said. He had said Poké ball…did this have anything to do with Pokémon? The little monster attacking him was something she had never seen before; perhaps this was another example of a Pokémon. Riley grabbed one of the balls and threw it over at the wild raccoon beast. She expected that it would hit the monster, causing it some serious damage, but instead the ball flew up, opening midday, and released a bright energy source from it. The light began to take a solid form, and landing on the grass was yet another strange beast. It was a bright green lizard that stood about a foot tall, with a toxic red underbelly and a thick tail that reminded Riley of squirrels. But this animal was no furry mammal, but instead a cold blooded miniature Godzilla.

"The hell is this?" she asked in shock.

The green lizard produced a hiss before staring down the brown raccoon. The Pokémon stopped attacking the man and bared its sharp teeth, trying to outdo the reptilian creature, but the lizard's bright yellow eyes formed a leer, causing the poor creature to shudder.

"Goon...goon…"

The lizard produced another hiss before leaping into the air and landing roughly on top of the raccoon. Riley watched in horror as the green reptile lifted both arms up and began to beat the poor Pokémon. As it continued to wail on the raccoon the man made his escape and ran from the bloody scene.

"Stop, stop!" Riley said. She ran over to the where the two Pokémon were, not thinking about her own safety, and pulled the green lizard away from the other. Despite this the green Pokémon did not fight back, practically going limp in her arms as she observed the damage it had caused. Beneath her was the other Pokémon, lying lifelessly on the ground after being pounded into a bloody pulp.

"Oh…oh god," she said. She looked at the Pokémon in her arms and could see it staring up at her with a pleased expression. Its large green tail swayed side to side.

"That was amazing!" she heard the man say next to her. He slapped his hand on her shoulder, causing her to stir a bit, but not enough to break away from the sight of the mauled animal. "I thought that Zigzagoon had me there!"

"Sir, what's going on here?" Riley asked. She opened her arms and let the gecko fall, landing on all fours. She heard it utter a small growl, but chose to ignore it. "What's going on? Where am I?"

"Ha-ha, you have your father's blood running through your veins alright," the man went on, still congratulating Riley on a job well done. "That Treecko there seems to like you too. He's never boasted such energy around me."

Riley had had enough. She pushed the man away from her and balled her small hands into two fists.

"What's going on here!" she demanded. "Why am I here? Why did those two monsters just fight each other? How can you be laughing when you're covered in blood? Please, _help me_!"

She continued to stare frantically at the man, whose expression was blank and confused. Then she watched as a smile appeared on his face, growing and reaching to his ears.

"Have you ever considered becoming a Pokémon trainer? I think you'd be a natural at it!"


	2. Chapter 2

Microsoft really hates the names of Pokemon...

Evening Captures

Riley stared conspicuously at the strange device handed to her by Professor Birch; the man she had rescued. Without any given warning she had been dragged back to Little Root town, into the biggest of the three visible buildings, and into his lab. At first Riley had nothing but protest on her mind; even though past attempts had proven to be useless, but while she was being pulled away Birch had done something that no one else had provided her since she awoke; and explanation. Although it wasn't in direct correlation with the questions she was asking, Riley had learned about the world she had somehow gotten stuck in.

"Treecko?"

Riley looked down at the small creature that stood in front of her. Birch had explained that this green being was one of many unique life forms called Pokémon. The one she had was called a Treecko, and although Riley personally wanted nothing to do with it, Birch insisted that she keep him, nickname him and train him. She pointed the peculiar device, affectionately called a pokédex by the Professor, at the Pokémon and watched as it lit up and showed her an image of it.

"So what do you say?" Birch asked for the umpteenth time.

Riley frowned miserably at the professor. She had denied him several times, but no matter what the man would not give him. Like everyone else he was determined in Riley complying with his demands.

"I don't want to be a trainer," Riley answered, her voice tired from having to repeat the same sentence for the umpteenth time.

"Treecko?"

Riley watched the small green Pokémon grab on to her leg and stare up at her with an almost hurt expression. She sucked in her bottom lip and looked away from him.

"Ah, don't be like that." Professor Birch said. "You'll get to travel the world. Capture and befriend all sorts of other Pokémon, and you may even defeat the champion. So, what do you say?"

The last thing Riley wanted was to get caught up doing something so off task with her goal. She wanted to find a way back home, and roaming around some foreign country was not going to get her there. But on the other hand; Riley could not leave the lab unless she agreed. And although she would be stuck running around, at least she would be out of the town and away from these people. She certainly wouldn't find answers while she was here.

"_Fine_, I'll do it," she answered, shoving the pokédex into her bag.

"That's great, I knew you'd agree," Professor Birch said with glee.

"Whatever," she said. She looked down at the Treecko and saw it produce a small smirk.

"Tree-koh," he said whilst crossing his arms.

"Don't think I trust you either," she said.

"You should go to Petalburg and visit you father before heading out," Professor Birch said. "But before that; would you like to nickname your Treecko?"

Riley raised a brow at her Treecko and smiled.

"Edmund," she answered. "I think that suites him just fine."

She watched the Treecko stare at her with a suspicious glance.

"You should tell your mother where you're headed off," she heard the Professor say. Riley felt her body shudder as the images of that strange woman enter her mind. Why did he insist that they were related? And what about her "father"; what exactly would he do when they would meet?

Riley gave a nod and sat herself up before heading out the door, her Treeko following.

"One more thing!"

She stopped and felt her body go cold and stiff as she turned and faced the Professor who was now heading toward her.

"Here," he said. He handed Riley several small Poké Balls. "Use these to capture future teammates."

She stared at her cupped hands, her expression filled with worry. She felt Edmund pulling her pants, impatient and eager to leave the lab. She looked down at the Treecko and felt a feeling of disgust grow within the pit of her stomach. She couldn't forget the brutal image of the poor Zigzagoon, the poor thing that had been killed by the small green Pokémon standing next to her. And the professor expected her to catch more of them…?

"Uhm, ok," Riley said, taking the red and white orbs and throwing them inside her bag. "C'mon, Edmund."

She walked out the lab and looked over at the path that would lead her out of the town. She pulled out what she was sure was Edmund's Poké Ball and pointed it at him.

"Get back in," she said. "It'll be a lot faster if I travel lightly."

The Treeko looked up at her and rolled its yellow eyes. The Pokémon walked to the Poké Ball and lifted his arm up, letting one of his three digits poke the ball's center. Riley watched with awe as the Pokémon was beamed into a red energy and then sucked back into the ball. She lifted the ball closer to her face, staring at it with utter amazement. It felt only a bit heavier, and yet it carried a large green lizard within it.

Riley placed the ball in her bag and scurried off without taking Birch's advice. She would not talk to that woman again, and if she could she would avoid meeting up with her "father" as well.

What was important now was for her to find a way back home. Hopefully the next town over would have a police station or something for her to visit. It no longer mattered how she got here, just as long as she could find her way back home.

Riley looked ahead and could see trees and tall grass blocking her path. She kept on going, trying her best to maneuver around the thick thrush without catching the attention of the local wildlife, but it seemed every step she took caused something around her to either growl or hiss. Somehow she made it through the first patch of untamed wildlife without gaining unwanted attention, but the dread of being attacked had left her fearful and digging through her bag to get Edmund.

"Thank goodness," she said with an exasperated sigh, pulling out the Poké Ball containing her Treecko. But before she could release her Pokémon from its containment, a strange feeling weighed down her shoulder. Riley stood still as she felt it move down her spine, feeling it grasp her clothes with every step it took. Her face went pale as her imagination wandered into the forbidden zone, thinking up every possible horrid image it could before finally letting herself swat the creature off from her body. She dropped Edmund's ball as she swiped at her rear where she could feel the soft, warm body. It took just a few hits for it to let go of her and fall to the floor with a small thud. When she got a good look at what it was she nearly screamed.

It was bug about the length of her arm, possessing a horn and terrifying looking pincers. Its head contained erect, horn like abrasions, adding to its _threatening_ demeanor.

"Oh, gross," she said in disgust. She stared at the large insect as it wiggled helplessly on the ground, trying desperately to straighten itself out and flip itself over. As it continued to struggle Riley felt her repulse for the creature diminish, and just after she picked up Edmund's Poké Ball she went over and helped the large worm by flipping it back on its belly.

"RrrRrr," the large bug whimpered.

Riley stared at the Pokémon with a look of mild amusement. It certainly wasn't anything like Edmund. This creature was nonthreatening, almost cute. She pulled out the pokédex and pointed it at the bug.

"Wurmple," she said. "A bug type Pokémon. Eats leaves as it prepares for evolution." This definitely was nothing like the vicious Pokémon she had seen before. With this in mind she pulled out another Poké ball and poked the bug with the ball's tip. Just as before the Pokémon was changed into a burst of energy and sucked into the ball. She felt the ball shake in her hands, and saw the center glow a deep red, but before she could fathom what it meant the ball stopped and the light faded.

"Well…that was surprisingly easy," she said. She stared at the two Poké Balls now filled with Pokémon and couldn't help but feel a surge of happiness. She looked up at the evening sky and then back at the balls, then back up at the orange sky.

"Grrr…."

Riley turned and saw a Zigzagoon approaching her. Remembering what had happened just hours ago she threw one of the Poke Balls and watched as her Wurmple sprang forth.

"Do something!" she said.

The Wurmple looked up at her then at the growling Zigzagoon. She watched as it put on its most threatening glare and charged at the raccoon Pokémon. The Zigzagoon swiped at it, growling warning the bug Pokémon to stay back, but it pressed on, ignoring the scratches and throwing itself at the wild Pokémon. Despite its small size the Wurmple had managed to lay a decent amount of damage as the Pokémon it faced whimpered in fear. It didn't stop the Zigzagoon from running off though, as the Pokémon decided to lay one more tackle on it. Riley gasped as she saw the bug fall to the floor, its thin skin bruised from the harsh impact.

"Oh no," she said. She looked at her other Poké Ball and then threw it in the direction of the Zigzagoon. "Edmund, help out the Wurmple!"

The Treecko popped out of the ball ready to attack. Riley watched as he landed right on top of the small Pokémon and began to lay down a rough beating. Riley ran over to the battleground and picked up her Wurmple, gently petting him and checking to see if he would be alright.

"Wrr…Rrr…," the Pokémon said. It looked up at her with a disappointed expression.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Treecko! Koko!"

Riley turned and saw Edmund standing on top of a very beaten, though alive, Zigzagoon. She wanted to get angry, but didn't have it in her seeing he had helped.

"Edmund," she said. "I need you to protect the two of us…this poor little guy can't fight anymore."

The Treecko looked down at his hurt teammate and nod his head in agreement. The three began to travel the rest of the way through the route, Edmund leading.

Riley kept her eyes on the hurt Wurmple. She watched him look up at her with a hurt expression, as though he were somehow ashamed of his loss. She couldn't understand why though. She couldn't understand why the people here ignored her while the Pokémon emote such powerful feelings.

"Trreee!"

Riley looked up and saw a small pack of Zigzagoon running about. None of them seemed to notice the small group.

"Leave them alone," Riley said. "Last thing I want if for you to get hurt too."

This warning didn't stop Edmund from going off. The Treecko ran in the direction of the Pokémon, causing Riley to groan and move the Wurmple in one of her arms as she tried to find Edmund's Poké ball.

"Damnit, Edmund get back here!" she called. Riley could see that her Pokémon was strong enough to fend off the small group, taking and given out blows, but she had had enough of the needless violence. She felt her Wurmple squirm in her arms as it tried to get a better view of what was going on.

"Rrrr…Wuurrrm!" The Pokémon struggled about in Riley's arm before finally taking a leap of faith and landing roughly on the ground. Despite showing signs of obvious pain the bug Pokémon did it's best to get as close to the action as possible.

"Oh no you don't," Riley said, running over and scooping up the injured Pokémon. "I know you want a bit of the action, but you're in no condition to be fighting!" The Wurmple looked up at her with a hurt look. "I'm sorry," she said, "but you're hurt. Try to gather some experience from afar…at least till I can get you to a hospital."

The Wurmple sighed, but stayed in Riley's arms, and eventually Edmund returned from battle. He now possessed several scratches and bruises, enough to cause Riley to panic. She pulled out both of their Poké Balls and sent them back in. She'd have to defend herself without the aid of these blood lusting creatures.

Luckily Riley could see what looked like civilization not too far from where she stood. She make a mad dash for the town ahead, running from angry wild Pokémon which had nothing better to do than go after her. Sadly in some cases they caught up, causing Riley to suffer minor aches and pains. By the time she reached town her legs were red and swollen, covered in minor bites and scratches.

"Excuse me," she called out. "Is there a hospital or veterinarians around here?"

She looked around the dismal looking town. Just as before the town only seemed to contain a few buildings, and even fewer people. Once again things were beginning to look hopeless.

Riley wandered the small town, looking around and stopping when she came across a building with a red cross on top of it. A small smile appeared on her face.

"Red Cross!" she said. The building looked different from its usual establishments, but she recognized that cross anywhere. Riley walked into the building, expecting a long line or an office, but was greeted with a much different scene. People sat and booth and tables, patiently waiting for something, while being waited on by large pink, oval shaped Pokémon. In front of her was a desk with a young woman sitting and typing. Her hair was pink.

"This…is unusual," she muttered. She looked down at her bag containing her injured Pokémon. She walked over to the front desk. "Uhm, Miss?"

The woman lifted her head up and smiled. "Hello," she said. "Welcome to the Pokémon center."

"Pokémon center?" Riley asked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Would you like to have your Pokémon healed?" the woman asked.

"Y-you can help my Pokémon?" Riley said.

"Would you like to have you Pokémon healed," the woman asked again.

Riley felt herself grow weary as she remembered the attitude the people around help when it came to conversations. But she was grateful to have found a building especially made for her injured Pokémon, so she supposed she had no right to complain yet.

"Sure…" She pulled out the two Poké Balls and handed them to the woman.

"Just a few minutes, wait over at a booth and relax."

She walked over at an empty table and sat down. Everyone around her didn't seem to care that she was covered in marks. No pink Pokémon came to talk with her. Riley looked out the window and stared at the setting sun. How long has the sun been setting? She rested her head on her arms and closed her eyes, silently wondering if she was any closer to finding out how she had gotten here.

Riley opened her eyes, feeling rejuvenated as though she had sleep, but the setting sun said otherwise. She stretched out her arms and looked at the chair opposite of hers and saw Edmund staring at her with his intense yellow eyes. She fought the urge to scream, focusing instead on how well he appeared. No longer did Edmund have any scratched on his body. He looked healthy.

"Great to see that you're feeling better," she said.

"Tree-koh," he answered.

"Where's Wurmple?" she asked.

Edmund jumped on top of the table and crawled in front of the chair next to his. He knelt over and picked up what looked like a white, oval, silk bag. He placed in front of Riley and then sat down on his seat.

"What is this?" she asked. She stared at the silk bag and began to poke at it. Up close she could see strange needle like appendages sprouting from all around it. She continued to poke at the white form, surprised at how firm, yet soft, it was, and watched as it shook from contact. Two eyes suddenly appeared and looked up at Riley.

"Coooon," the silk bag said in a lazy voice.

"Edmund…is this supposed to be Wurmple?" Riley asked. She pulled out her pokédex and pointed it at the talking silk bag. The page lit up and the image of the Pokémon showed up, underneath it the word "Silcoon".

"Coon."

"The evolved form of Wurmple," she muttered. "I don't think that's how evolution works though."

"Coon?"

"Treecko?"

"Never mind," she said. She picked up her new Silcoon, wondering what would come out of it. It was a worm before, and was now wrapped up in a cocoon, which meant the only thing left was for it to come out. Then she realized she hadn't yet given her new Pokémon a nickname.

"Well," she said while lifting the Pokémon, trying to get a better view of what was underneath. "Are you a female, or male?"

"Coon."

Riley placed the Silcoon down and turned to her Treecko. "Girl?" she asked.

Edmund shook his head.

"So he's a boy then?"

A nod.

"Alright then," she said. Riley looked down and patted her Silcoon. "I know things were rough, but they'll get better. I promise I'll take better care of you, Leonates."

After that Riley, Edmund and Leonates left the Pokémon center; their current destination unknown. First Riley deiced to head north, figuring a town must lay ahead, but soon saw that the trail lead to a dead end. In front of her group was a wide river containing rough currents and wild Pokémon; both too strong for anyone on her team to go up against. Before turning back threesome took a break and watched the wildlife in the area. It was mostly more of the same, though Riley was able to spot some new Pokémon she had not yet seen.

Just as they were about to leave a group of wild, wolf like creatures ran out of the tall grass, chasing a much smaller, weaker looking wolf. Using her pokédex she learned that the Pokémon in front of her were Poochyena, and the one being attacked suffered from a deformity that gave it a hunched back and limp. Like Leonates before Riley felt sorry for the creature, and even though she despised having to use violence, she sent out Edmund to scare away the other Poochyena. Luckily for her Edmund was feeling merciful and all the other Pokémon run off without getting themselves killed by the bloodthirsty Treecko. The deformed Poochyena wasn't as grateful as she hoped him to be, earning snarls and growls and not wanting to do anything with her. Edmund however, was a master of persuasion, giving the hunchbacked Pokémon a few hard smacks and shutting it up. Riley fought back, pulling Edmund away and dropping poor Leonates in the scuffle. But she was able to capture the Poochyena, now dubbed Richard, though the means were less than perfect. She kept herself from scolding him though, as she was beginning to understand that it was simply within the Pokémon's nature to fight. Birch had implied it, and both Edmund and Leonates were willing to prove it.

So the four traveled back to the small town, making a return to the Pokémon center were Riley watched as the same woman from before repeated the exact same words to her from before. Before heading west she found a small market where she was able to make a purchase of some products especially made for Pokémon. Potions healed Pokémon, and when there were no Pokémon centers around to help her it would be important that she carried the proper tools to help them. She did also look around for other things; such as food and first aid for herself, but found nothing of the sort.

So she took the route that lead to Petalburg, still not sure whether or not she should meet with the man that was supposed to be her "father". For now she made a mental note to avoid the Gym where he worked.

About five minutes into the walk Riley heard Richard growl, causing Edmund and her to stop and look around. In front of them was yet another Zigzagoon.

"Rawr…Rrrr!" Richard sneered, showing off his rather impressive canines.

"Richard! There's no need for violence," Riley complained.

Her words were not enough and the Poochyena continued to chase the Zigzagoon around, trying to catch up with it and attack it. Riley decided to throw on of her remaining Poké Balls at it, saving the Pokémon from a world of hurt. Richard continued to growl, this time at Riley, and limped off ahead of the group.

"Is everyone going to be like this?" she asked as she carefully placed Leonates on the ground and released her new Zigzagoon out from its ball.

"Goo-goon!" the brown raccoon barked.

"Hey there," she said in the most welcoming tone she should muster. "I'm sorry about Richard. He's new. And so are you." She carefully brought her hand over and let the Pokémon sniff it. "You want to tell me if you're a boy or a girl?"

"It's a female."

Riley looked over her shoulder and saw a young girl approaching her. She wore red top with a white under shirt peeking from below, and uncomfortably short black leggings. On her face was a forced smile, and her eyes contained the strange zombie like expression that everyone else seemed to hold.

"How silly of you," she said. "You're letting all your Pokémon run around like that. You know they can get hurt if you're not properly watching them."

Even though she was younger and smaller, Riley couldn't help but feel afraid.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"What? You forgot already?" the girl said. "It's me, May. You visited my house right after you settled in."

"No I didn't," Riley said. "I didn't go into anyone's house."

Riley distinctly remembered trying to get out of the town as soon as she left the house she had been trapped in. And if she hadn't been hallucinating, she was sure something strange had occurred as soon as she tried to leave; a force trying to hold her back, but failed.

"Wow, look at all the Pokémon you have with you now," May said. Like everyone else she ignored Riley's responses and went off subject. "All I have is my little Torchic."

"That's…great?"

"How about a battle," May asked.

"A what?" Riley asked. She turned to Edmund to see if he had any idea what she was talking about. He peered up her with eyes full of energy, his tail swinging in a rapid motion.

Without any warning May grabbed the Poké Ball that was attached to her belt and threw it high up in the air. From it a small bird like Pokémon appeared, colored with orange and yellow feathers.

"Chic. Torchic!" the Pokémon peeped.

"I don't want to battle," Riley said. "I don't like fighting." She stared at all four of her Pokémon and frowned. "What did I ever do to you?" she asked May.

"What? No, this is just for fun," May said. "Besides, it's not like you have much of a choice…"

"_Excuse me_?"

"Whenever a trainer challenges you to a battle you have to accept," she said. Her cute smile no longer emitted a welcoming aura.

"But I don't want to-"

"Torchic, use scratch," May yelled. Suddenly the small chic leered at Edmund and ran toward him. It jumped just as it was less than a few inches from his face and bared it's sharp talons.

"Edmund look out," Riley said. But the Torchic's claws reached Edmund before he could do anything, and Riley watched as the sharp talons broke Edmund's skin, leaving long gashes across his face.

"Again," May demanded. The Torchic landed lightly on its legs only to jump again. This time Edmund took action, and instead of taking the blow he jumped away, using his tail as a spring to get enough distance from the little chic Pokémon.

"Edmund…" Riley said. "Attack."

The Treecko ran on all fours, racing to the Torchic and swung his large tail at it. The move dealt a huge blow. Both trainers could hear a loud screech come from the Torchic as it flew in the air and landed on the ground with a soft thud. Edmund got up on his legs, whipping some of his blood from his face and continued forth, getting ready to deal another pound. But before he could lay another attack the Torchic changed into the red energy, and was sucked back into its Poké Ball.

"That was fun," May said. She pulled some money from her pocket and handed it to Riley.

"Not for the Torchic," Riley said, pushing the money away. "And just look at Edmund."

"You really are the Gym leader's daughter," she said, once again ignoring Riley. "I can tell you'll be quite the rival."

"Whatever, just leave," Riley spat. She walked over to her Treecko and was about to pull out one of her potions when she saw her Zigzagoon running up to her with something in its mouth.

"Alright, I'll be seeing you!" she heard May say as she passed the group by. Riley paid no attention as the Zigzagoon dropped the item in her hand, its tail wagging excitedly.

"What's this?" she asked. It looked like the potions she had bought in the store, but larger and not the standard purple color. "A better potion?" she said. She aimed the item at Edmund and sprayed the contents all over him. When it went empty she watched as his wounds quickly began to heal and fix themselves.

"Treeko!"

"I guess it was a better potion," she said. She looked down at her Zigzagoon and smiled. "Thank you…Miranda."

She pulled out three of her Poké Balls and called Edmund, Leonates, and Richard back in. That girl was right about one thing; she did need to keep an eye on her team. Traveling light meant she could get home faster, and traveling with someone out would mean better protection.

"Let's go girl," she said. "Petalburg is less than a mile away now."

Together the two traveled through the dense brush. Like May had said from before there were trainers who eagerly wanted to battle her. Riley saw no way out of it, and allowed her team to fight back. She hated it, but by the looks they had, it was just the opposite. She watched as her Pokémon broke skin, tore flesh, and snapped bones, and looking proud of it. She heard her enemies Pokémon cry out in pain, and stood in shock as she was awarded by mildly disappointed trainers. Wild Pokémon continued to block her path, leaving her with nothing to do but send out her team to fight them off. Even Leonates, who couldn't move on his own, fended Pokémon off by stinging them with his barbs, causing the Pokémon to grow sick and weak.

Finally she made it to Petalburg, feeling tired and sick to her stomach. Her team was intact, and everyone looked stronger than before. She dare say they looked a little happy, and for what? Bit Riley refused to question what went on in the minds of this little monster, and instead just smiled as Miranda, covered in dirt and blood, handed her a small nugget of gold.

* * *

Current team:

Edmund the Treecko- level 10

Leonates the Silcoon- level 8

Richard the Poochyena- level 7

Miranda the Zigzagoon- level 7

What do you think so far? Things will definitely move a lot faster after this. Any advice?

Thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for such a long chapter. They'll be shorter soon enough.

* * *

Villain

After resting at the Pokémon Center for a few hours Riley took a tour around the new city. It was the largest she had seen, but like the other towns before it was surprisingly small. Petaburg had only a few households, not including the center, shop, and Gym. It made her wonder if the country she had entered was still developing.

She was able to find the next route that would take her to another city called Rustboro, as well as a small port that would take her to an island in the south. Riley wasn't sure what to do.

"Hey you, where do you think you're going?" a voice called.

Riley felt a hand grab her shoulder and pull her away from the route. She was turned around and forced to stare at a stranger standing before her.

"You look like a rookie trainer," the man said. "All trainers should visit the local gym."

"No thank you."

"Here, let me show you the gym," the man insisted. He pulled Riley by the arm and led her to the gym. She didn't want to go there, but had no will to fight it. If someone was stopping her from continuing that meant she was stuck until she complied with this person's demands.

So there she stood, in front of the Gym. In front of her was a sign with a coating of fresh paint on it. The name of the gym leader, her father, was Norman. Around her was a group of what she guessed was more adept trainers, each one wearing a look of excitement on their faces. Riley wished she could share their excitement.

She stared at her bag. If something were to happen, could her Pokémon protect her? Riley wasn't sure, but she knew she couldn't leave the town until she spoke with Norman. She opened the huge door in front of her and took a step in. The insider of the gym was bare, possibly because it was still being renovated. The smell of fresh paint was still there, and there were unopened boxes lying around the room. Standing a few feet away was an older man, dressed in navy and red. As soon as he looked in her direction, a smiled appeared on his face; the same smile that made Riley feel uneasy.

"Riley, there you are," he said. He walked over to her, his arms opening up, inviting her to run up and hug him. But Riley stood where she was, waiting for him to make the next move. She kept a hand buried in her bag.

"Father?" she asked.

The man wrapped his arms around her and laughed. "Birch and your mother called me. They said you had started your journey to become a Pokémon trainer, but I had to see it to believe it. I'm just so proud."

He finally let go of Riley, giving her the chance to get a better look at the man who was claiming to be her father. He had smooth black hair and dark navy colored eyes; nothing like her thick brown locks and eyes. While his face was fair and smooth, hers contained a layer of light brown freckles. It would be impossible for anyone to say that they were directly related. But riley already knew they had no connection, other than the unknown reason behind her journey.

"Now, you'll want to head over to Rustboro City."

"Why?" She asked, not only to play along, but to gather what could be valuable information.

"To get your first badge of course," Norman said with a laugh.

"Oh, right," Riley said. Badges would be useless.

Just as Norman was about to continue, the front door opened and a small boy shuffled in. Riley thought nothing of it until she noticed that Norman was staring at him. She had been the focus of unwanted attention since she had arrived, so for this boy to suddenly receive it meant something.

"Can I help you?" Norman asked.

"Uhm," the boy lifted his head up and stared nervously at Norman. "I'm here to get my first Pokémon."

"Oh, yes! You must be Wally," Norman said. "Your parents said you wanted a Pokémon before you left home."

Riley carefully observed the boy in standing in front of her. He had greenish hair that stood out in a mess. His skin was pale and pasty and his clothes were wrinkled. When he looked up at her Riley almost felt her heart stop. His eyes were different from everyone else's. They weren't happy and forceful, but passive and weak.

"Riley, why don't you help this boy catch a Pokémon?"

She looked over at Norman, who was smiling happily and blankly, and then back to Wally. The boy continued to make eye contact with her, and the more she did the more of an anomaly he became.

"Sure…" she said.

"Great," Norman said. He pulled a Poké Ball from his trousers and handed it to Wally. "Come back when the two of you are done."

Riley walked over to the door and made a gesture to Wally to follow her. The two left the gym and Riley let Wally take the lead, following him back to route 102. When they reached a patch of grass Riley stopped staring at the odd boy and pulled out one of her Poké Balls.

"You keep staring," she heard him say.

"What?"

Wally looked over his shoulder and stared at her. "You keep looking at me."

Riley felt her face heat up from surprise. Wally turned himself around, eyeing her nervously.

"You seem afraid," he said.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to…you just seemed-"

"Different? I get that a lot. I never get to leave the house, so people tend to notice," Wally said. A small frowned appeared on his face. "That's why I'm moving, and that's why I need a Pokémon."

"That's not what I meant," Riley said. "And I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings."

Wally lifted a brow. "Not what you meant?"

"You are different, but not because you're sick. You're just special from everyone else I've met so far," she answered. "You actually answer me questions. You listen to me."

"Well, why wouldn't I?"

"No one else does," Riley said.

"I don't understand," Wally said. "People have never acted strange around me."

What could she say now? Riley knew Wally wouldn't have been able to notice. Although he was different, he wasn't different enough.

"Wally, can I ask you some questions?"

The boy nods his head.

"What's the name of this country?" she asked.

The boy chuckled. "That's a silly question to ask. Hoenn."

"Hoenn," Riley said to herself.

It wasn't a name she had ever heard before. But it made sense. Never had she heard of Pokémon, of designated centers for them, or items made to heal them. She had never seen a person with pink or green natural hair color. Had never been to a place where the world was so strange. Wherever Hoenn was, it was far from the home she knew.

"Riley!" Wally grabbed the girl's arm and gave it a shook. "Riley look, I think I see a Pokémon in the grass." Both watched as a small white thing that resembled Wally in appearance. Its body was small, and the leg portion seemed to drag with its steps. Covering the Pokémon's face was a green helmet and in front of this helmet was a bright pink horn.

"What is it?" she said.

"A Ralts," Wally said. "A psychic Pokémon." He turned to Riley a frowned. "For a gym leader's kid you don't seem to know much about Pokémon."

"I need a Pokémon!" Wally said suddenly.

Riley handed the boy the Poké Ball containing Miranda. She watched the boy send out the Zigzagoon from her containment.

"Go. Use tackle," Wally said.

"Tackle?" Riley muttered.

Miranda barked and ran toward the startled Ralts. Her body roughly smashed against the Ralts, causing the Pokémon to yelp as it hit the ground. Her Zigzagoon took a jump backward as she settled herself, keeping her eye on the opponent.

"Ralts-Ralts," the Pokémon uttered a weak growl.

"Is it weak enough to catch?" Riley asked.

"Not just yet," Wally said. "I think it could use another tackle." But then his confidence faltered. "Well, I think it could. I don't want it to faint…I only have one ball…"

"Ralts!" the Pokémon yelled at the Zigzagoon.

"Goon, goon," Miranda barked back. Her tail wagged furiously from side to side.

"Try another tackle," Riley said, "But not too hard, ok?"

"Zigoon!" Miranda said. She ran up to the Ralts and smacked it down with the force of her head.

"Now I throw the Poké Ball, right?"

"Yeah." Riley said. "Miranda, come back."

Wally pressed the center of the ball, its size doubling on contact. He threw the Poké Ball forward, hitting the Ralts on its helmet shaped head. The Pokémon was seized into the ball, landing softly on the grass, wobbling around before settling down.

"I did it," Wally said. "I caught a Pokémon." A smile grew on the boy's face.

Riley scooped Miranda in her arms and gave the Zigzagoon a pat on the head. "Let's head back to the lab."

The two headed back to the lab, Riley silently wondering to herself about the new unknown land she had entered, and why Wally seemed to be the only one inhabiting it that was able to answer some questions. She knew he couldn't answer the most important ones…yet. She'd have to wait longer before finding out.

"There you two are," Norman said. "Did things turn out well?"

"Yessir," Wally said. "Your daughter was a huge help."

"That's great," Norman said.

"Yeah," Wally said. He looked down at his Poké Ball and then at Riley. "I have to get going. I know my Uncle should be here by now. I hope I see you soon."

"Me too," she said. Wally walked out of the gym, looking slightly less pale and frail from before.

"Well, Riley." Norman said.

"What?" she asked. Her "father" smiled at her with the same expression as before, as though she had never left the gym. "I guess you'll want to head over to Rustboro City now."

"I suppose you'll explain to me why," she said.

Miranda barked at her.

"There you'll challenge the gym leader for your first badge," he explained. "You'll keep traveling the continent, collecting badges, earning your way to the top. Of course, you'll eventually have to battle me."

"Of course," she said. "You know…you're not really my father."

"What a battle that will be," he said. "But you'll have to wait till you're much stronger."

"I know," Riley said. "I have no choice."

Leaving the gym for the third time, Riley found herself once again feeling hopeless and lost. She held on tightly to Miranda, looking up at the ever setting sun and wondering whether she would ever find her way home. She returned her Pokémon back into her ball and went to the market to buy some new items for her Pokémon, and after which she went to go to the following route.

* * *

The first thing Riley laid eyes on was the yellow sandy beach, it beauty magnifying with shades of orange, purple, and blue mixed along with the grey clouds and bright gold of the large sun. Riley sent out all of her Pokémon, letting them run about and enjoy the view while she herself chose to sat and stare. She held on to her legs and stared out at the wonderful scene for what had to be an hour or so, all her Pokémon aside from Leonates having their fill of fun.

"Hey, you're a Pokémon trainer, right?" a boy ran up to her. He held two Poké Balls in his hand.

"Really," Riley said. "Now, when I'm enjoying myself?"

The boy pouted. "You have to accept my challenge!"

Riley groaned. "Fine," she said. "Leo, Edmund." Her Treecko ran over and stood beside Riley, eager to fight. Leonates looked up at Riley. Although he couldn't move he had the look of pure energy.

The boy smiled and sent out his first Pokémon. Out came a small brown creature with the body of an acorn. It wobbled on its two stubby legs, trying it's best to look frightening.

"Seedot." It peeped.

Riley wasn't too afraid of it, and decided that she'd allow her Silcoon to go at it. The little cocoon hopped over to the Seedot, readying itself for the first attack. But instead the Seedot merely shook, held in its breath, and braced itself. Leonates wobbled his body, trying to get a better look at what the opponent was doing, but found nothing.

"It's like a sitting duck," Riley said. "Go ahead Leonates, attack it."

"Coon!" Leonates shoved itself with as much force as it could muster, and hit the Seedot square in the head. The Pokémon fell on its side, shook itself up, and then stood back up in the same bracing position as before. The boy smirked, crossing his arms and snickering at Riley's ignorance. She felt herself suddenly become nervous, and detecting this, Leonates responded by stiffening himself up. His bards became erect, his body becoming more hard and dense. Riley didn't know why, but as soon as he finished hardening himself up the Seedot suddenly bounced up and hit itself, hard, on the Silcoon's side. The cocoon Pokémon cried out in pain, sliding across the sand as it barely managed to hold itself against the attack. The Seedot jumped, peeping with joy as it watched Leonates try to regain his structure.

"Leo, are you alright?" Riley said. She tried to take a step closer, to pick him up, but the boy looked up and yelled at her.

"You can't stop a Pokémon battle!"

"But Leo," she said. She felt Edmund pull at her pants, reminding her he existed. She looked at him and felt a strange calm enter her as he stared up with his glistening yellow eyes. "All right, go in."

"Koh," he said.

She pulled out Leo's ball and sent him back in it. By now both Richard and Miranda were standing behind her, carefully watching the battle take place. Miranda looked nervous, while Richard still had his angry stare. It was as though the Pokémon had actual minds of their own.

"Edmund, attack. Pound that Seedot."

Edmund ran up and smacked the Seedot with his tail, instantly knocking out the Pokémon. He stood proud, his padded foot resting on top of it.

"Seedot, return." The boy said. He sent out the next Pokémon. "Taillow, go!" This time a small bird escaped from the ball, flying up in the air and looking down at Edmund with a rough glare.

"Taillow!" The bird Pokémon squawked just before it flew down and attempted to attack Edmund with its small beak. The Treecko barely dodged, his arm receiving a minor scrape from the beak. He hissed, baring his teeth at the Taillow as he leered it down.

"Taillow, use another peck," the boy yelled.

"Be careful, Edmund," Riley said. She watched the small bird fly high in the sky, too far for Edmund to even attempt to fight against. She felt helpless as the bird then plummeted down, spiraling closer to the Treecko. She called him again, hoping he would move aside from the attack. Instead of dodging, Edmund held his position. He bared his chest up, closing his eyes as he braced himself for what would definitely be a painful attack. The bird Pokémon hit Edmund with full force, the beak breaking through the skin, causing the Treecko to fall on his back, hissing out in pain.

"K-koh…"

"Edmund!" Riley screamed.

The Taillow pulled its head up, the beak dripping in blood. It peered at Riley with a cruel expression. She could heard both Miranda and Richard cry out and protest.

"Good job Taillow," the boy said.

"Taillow, Tay!" The bird Pokémon chirped. But just as it began to flutter it's wings, one of Edmund's green hands grabbed the bird by the bill. The Taillow began to freak out, surprised to see Edmund still fighting, and tried to free itself with its wings. Edmund refused to let go. He let his second hand grab the Pokémon's mouth, reinforcing the hold he had over the Taillow.

"Treeee…" Edmund hissed. He lifted the bird Pokémon using what strength he had, and then, somehow, forced himself up on his two legs. Riley could see the wound on his chest, bright red blood running down and dripping on the sand. Edmund continued to lift the bird, his hands still gripping on the beak despite the bird's fight. It's wings flapped about, trying to repel itself away from the Treecko, but the more he flapped, the worse of a predicament he was in. Edmund was not letting go. And then Edmund lifted the Taillow higher, his arms now beginning to shake from the weight and loss of energy.

"Taillow, do something," the boy demanded.

"Edmund, whatever you do, don't let it kill you," Riley said.

The Treecko slammed the Pokémon down on the ground. The Taillow violently shook as the body hit the sand, and was given no time to take in the impact as it was lifted once again, only to be brought down again.

"Trreee-Koohh!" Edmund yelled, continuing to slam the bird Pokémon down. Both trainers could hear the bird's bones snap from the never-ending contact, but neither did anything. The boy just watched, and Riley; she was just happy Edmund was still alive. She said nothing as Edmund finally let go of the lifeless Taillow, dropping the body and stumbling over to Riley.

"Darn…" the boy said.

Riley fell to the floor, grabbing Edmund and embracing him in her arms. She could feel warn drops hitting her dark clothes, but didn't care. Her body swayed back in forth, Edmund's body going limp and following her movement.

"Zig? Goon?" Miranda growled.

"Rwoor," Richard grumbled.

She let go of Edmund and rested him on the sand. She pulled out one of her potions and began to spray the silent Treecko. She watched as some of his wounds began to heal, but not enough for him to keep on fighting. There was still a lot of bruising around the chest. Until she reached another center he would have to rest. She couldn't even let him roam free.

"I'm…sorry," she said.

Edmund closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Koh-Treecko."

"I don't understand," she said. "How can you act like that? You almost got killed…"

"Treecko," Edmund muttered. He opened his eyes, staring up at Riley. A small smirk grew on his face.

"I…just don't get you guys," she said.

"Goon, goon," Miranda cooed. She rubbed her head against Riley's leg.

"Right, let's go," she said. She pulled out Edmund's ball and returned him inside. She sent out Leonates and healed him, and then the group pressed on.

There was another trainer eagerly wanting a battle from Riley. Like before Riley had no choice but to fight, and sent out Richard to do battle. The well-dressed boy sent out a Zigzagoon, which looked like it could take down the hunchbacked Poochyena, but Richard held out well. He was rash with the battle, relentlessly attacking the Zigzagoon with tackles, and was able to bring it down without damage.

After the battle Riley spotted something moving in one of the nearby bushes. She send Richard out, letting him enjoy his moment of fame, and saw him chase off a wild Taillow. It was smaller than the one she had fought before, but she remembered how dangerous it could be. At first she wanted Richard to fight it and gain experience from it, but with a few nudges from Miranda she decided to add it to her team. She let Richard chase the bird down and threw a ball at it before he could lay any serious damage, but then the Poké Ball burst open and the Taillow pecked at Richard's bad leg. She let Richard law a few nips while she pulled her last free ball and threw it at the Taillow. This time the bird stayed in the ball.

Richard growled at Riley, upset that he didn't get to finish off the Taillow. Riley sighed and sent out the new member of her ragtag team. The bird hesitantly hopped over to Riley, looking up at her with a nervous look as Richard continued to growl.

"Don't worry about him," Riley said. "He's always like that. Anyways; I'm Riley."

"Tay?" The bird peeped.

She pointed at the grumpy Poochyena, "This is Richard. He's never happy. And next to him is Miranda." She then pointed at the Silcoon resting in her arm. "And this is Leonates."

"Taillow."

"We have one more in the group, but he's hurt and can't be ought to meet you yet," Riley said. "So…yeah, I hope you're not a psychopath like some of these guys."

"Grrr…" Richard growled.

The Taillow fluttered its wings and flew up and rested on Riley's shoulder. It hopped over closer to Riley's face and lightly pecked at her cheek. Riley couldn't help but smile at the tingle her cheek felt.

"I guess this means you like me," she said. "Alright…well, I'll name you Hero."

The Taillow chirped happily at Riley. Riley returned Richard back in the ball and decided to let Hero lead the team. After a few wild encounters of mainly Taillow and Wurmple, Riley was beginning to see a trend. Bugs and birds. And after another mile of walking she began to encounter heavier foliage, accompanied by Silcoon and a pinker, angrier looking Cascoon. Eventually the path she walked lead her to a sign, which brought her a new sense of worry.

"Petalburg Woods," Riley said. She looked down at Miranda. "I don't want you to get lost. And Hero can take down just about any bug Pokémon."

"Silcoon."

"Calm down," she said. "I don't want you poisoning me…"

She pulled out her Poké Ball and stored Miranda safely in her bag. With Hero and Leonates she began to climb over thick logs and sloshed through muddy flooring. Hero kept the bug Pokémon at bay, and Leonates, being a bug Pokémon himself, used his silk to tie leaves and branches together, binding them and making Riley's trek a bit easier. Since the sun had been setting outside the forest, the inside was dark and hard to see. Once in a while Riley was sure she had spotted something that wasn't a bug, a trainer or an unusual looking Pokémon, but was in no position to find out. She kept on going, hoping that she would find her way out of the forest soon.

After a few hours Riley found a spot that was clear from trees or ivy. She sat herself down, placing Leonates next to her. Hero flew above her.

"Guys, I need a rest," she said. Both of her Pokémon huddled close to her, as if to say they had her back. She smiled and pulled her bag from her shoulder, moving the contents around in attempt to make a pillow from it.

"Hey, what are you doing?" a voice asked. Riley saw a boy holding a net peer over her with a look of minor interest. "You can't just fall asleep in the forest. That's dangerous."

"Who're you?" she asked tiredly.

"A bug catcher," the boy said. "By the way, are you a trainer?"

Riley groaned. "I'm tired," she said.

"Tay! Taillow," Hero screeched, flapping her wings.

The boy frowned. "Is that a bird Pokémon?" he asked.

Riley looked at Hero and couldn't help but smile at her. "You can't run form a battle," she said.

The bug catcher had six Wurmple, all of which stood no chance against Hero. The small bird Pokémon thrashed each one with one fell swoop. Her sharp pecks, attacks from her wings, and quick, undetectable assaults were amazing. But by the last Wurmple it was becoming clear that she was tiring out. Attack after attack, no matter how good, would wear anyone out. And at the end of the battle, although Hero seemed to protest against it; she was returned and given rest. The bug catcher gave Riley her reward money, but left her defenses extremely low. All she had protecting her was Leonates, who couldn't move well on his own, and who's attacks didn't lay too much damage.

"I hope we're close to the end," she muttered. She picked at Mirada's Poké Ball and placed it in the pocket of her jacket as a just in case emergency. "I faith in you though, Leo."

"Coon-coon," he answered.

"I know you had a rough start, but you've shown some serious progress." Riley moved some branches to the side as the two of them continued their way through the forest. "You're getting stronger, and soon you'll metamorphosis into a moth or butterfly…or weevil."

Riley found another path and blindly began following it. For a long time there were no signs of life other than the sounds of Pokémon. Her Silcoon continued to spray obstacles aside, and after a short while the path in front of them began to appear more domestic.

Turning a corner, Riley found a man standing a few feet away. At first she thought he was another trainer, but then saw the nice clothes he was wearing and the lack of any Poké Balls on him. He looked confused, almost lost. Since he couldn't fight Riley was more than open to helping him out, assuming he would allow it.

"Sir?" she called. "Are you alright?"

He spotted her and began to scurry over in her direction. Immediately Riley saw the blank look in his eyes and regretted her decision.

"Hello?" he said. "I'm looking for a Pokémon called Shroomish. Have you seen any?"

"Uhm no," she answered.

"They're my favorite Pokémon," he replied, leaning in closer to her.

"That's nice to know," she said.

There was a loud snap that came from the forest, followed by the sounds of Pokémon rustling in the tree's and earth. And from the shadow came a dark figure, slowing making its way through the thick vegetation. Both Riley and the man watched as a man stomped through the greenery, dressed in torn blue trousers and striped shirt. On his head was a bandanna with some strange logo on it that had Riley think of bones. Under his eyes was sweat and smeared eye shadow, giving the already estranged man a menacing look to him. He was covered I branches and stains from pervious battles, but it didn't seem to bother him none. He leered at the man next to riley and sneered, showing off a row of stained teeth.

"There you are," he growled. "I've been looking all over for you." His voice was raspy and cruel. "You think hiding in the forest was going to stop me…? Well, think again." He grabbed a Poké ball from his side and showed it off to the two of them. "If you know what's good for you, then you ought to hand over those Devon goods."

This time Riley was the one to grab as she pulled the man's shoulder and looked at him with a look of fright.

"Who is this man?" she asked in a panic, nearly dropping Leonates. "What does he want? Why is he dressed like some sort of pirate?"

The man shook Riley away and ran behind her, pushing her towards the dark figure.

"D-do something,' he cried.

"Ha, you think some lil' girl's going to stop a member from Team Aqua?" the man scoffed. He threw his Poké Ball out, releasing a vicious looking Poochyena from it.

"Coon! Coon!" Leonates rustled in Riley's arms.

"Are you sure," she asked. She could see that Leonates was eager to prove himself. She let her Silcoon down and watched it hobble over to the Poochyena.

"Ha, that's pathetic," the man laughed. "Poochyena, tackle that thing at take it down."

"Leo, use your poison sting," Riley said.

As the Poochyena ran towards Leonates, he prepped himself for the contact and pointed as many barbs as he could in the Pokémon's direction. The Poochyena smacked itself against him, pushing Leo a few across the floor, but in exchange the Poochyena had a few needles sticking on it. The Pokémon didn't seem to suffer any signs of poison, nor did it look like it was anywhere near close to fainting.

"Poochyena, sand-attack," the man dressed in blue said. The Poochyena bared its hind legs and began kicking at the ground, spraying dirt and rocks at the defenseless Silcoon. Leonates closed his eyes, trying to avoid being blinded by the attack. He began to harden his shell, protecting himself from the next attack the Poochyena would shell out.

"Leo, try another poison sting when you can," Riley yelled at the small cloud of dust. The Silcoon squint his eyes, catching bit of movement coming from his side. He regrew his barbs and looked around for the Poochyena. He could hear it howling. When the dust cloud began to settle the Poochyena became more visible. It snarled in front of him, its power charged up, and began charging at Leonates.

"Go, tackle it," the man yelled. The Poochyena hit Leonates hard on the side, causing several poisonous barbs to fly out in all the wrong directions. But a few did land on the Poochyena, and as soon as they made contact the Pokémon yelped in pain and began to shake and falter in its steps.

"I poisoned your Pokémon," Riley said. "Give it up."

The strange man glared at her and her Pokémon, and then hissed as he pulled out his ball and returned his sick Poochyena. Leonates blinked, staring gleefully at his victory.

"Don't think this is the end," the man growled, slowly walking away from Riley. He about faced and ran back into the woods. Riley turned to the other man, who was now hiding behind a thin oak.

"Sir," she asked. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, yes." He answered. "Thanks to you." He walked over and Riley and smiled. "You were…amazing. I would've lost the goods were it not for you."

"You're welcome," Riley said.

"I really have to get back to Rustboro," he said. "Thanks again. Here, take this." He handed Riley a blue colored Poké Ball and walked down the road. Riley pressed on its center to get a better look at it. It wasn't the usual red, but since she had run out she was in no position to complain. She out the Poké Ball away and walked over to Leonates and picked him up.

"Coon."

"Something wrong?" she asked. She lifted her Pokémon up to her face and examined him. Just then Leonates' body began to glow, enveloping him in a bright light. Almost as if she was being sent out from his Poké ball, his body began pure energy. She felt her arms suddenly feel stressed as the energy grew in size, her Pokémon rapidly gaining weight as he began to change. Two huge appendages sprouted from his sides, and the round body she held in her arms began to thin out in shape. The light began to fade, and from it was a completely different Pokémon from before.

"Beyu." Leonates said. He was no longer a cocoon, but a giant, dark butterfly. His huge blue eyes gleamed at Riley. His sharp barbs were replaced with long black antennae. He had small arms and legs now.

"Wow," was all Riley could say.

"Byu, byutafly." He replied.

"Byu...tah…fly…Beautifly," Riley said. "That's what you are now, right Leonates?"

"Byu."

Riley nods her head and released Leonates from her arms. He fluttered his brand new wings, airing them out and showing off the new patterns on his body.

"Are you stronger now?" she asked.

Leonates nodded his head.

"…can I still trust you?" she asked him. She tucked her arms in her pocket and stared worryingly at the giant flying Pokémon. No longer was he dependent on her. He could do whatever he wanted, like Edmund or Richard.

He stared at her, his giant blue eyes forming a look of excitement.

"Beyu," he answered.

* * *

What do you all think so far?


End file.
